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Post by Bri on Jul 2, 2023 23:21:52 GMT -6
With a slam the door of Riell's old pick up closed, making her cringe. She never meant to slam it and yet every time she tried to close it she did but luckily it didn't seem to draw any attention. She pulled her hat a little farther over her face, a force of habit now. Since her time in the town she'd been able to convince most everyone to believe she was a woman named Riley who had moved into the middle of nowhere to escape busy city life and had been able to ward of too long of stares and craft lies to keep people from figuring out who she was. By now she was certain that most people had forgotten who Riell Candace was and giving her the ability to be who she wanted. Even so old habits died hard. She rolled back the cover on the bed of her truck and popped open the gate, pulling forward a crate of Styrofoam to go boxes that were packed with lunches she had made with what her little farm had produced. It wasn't much but it was something the local shelter and food bank appreciated. She balanced the crate on her hip and closed the gate before making her walk to the shelter. She allowed herself to hum softly as she walked, until something-or rather someone-caught her eye in an alley by the shelter and tilted her head. She cleared her throat before approaching, "excuse me? Sir? Uhm, I couldn't help but notice you...would you like something to eat?" She offered, he looked a little familiar but not enough for her to know more than just his face from the line at the shelter, which is what made her stop in the first place.
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Post by Kiersten on Jul 2, 2023 23:54:31 GMT -6
“Wut?” Jeb’s father asked, not turning to look at Riell at all as he bundled in his jacket more, wondering what happened to his blanket Jeb had just brought him last week. He forgot he had traded it for the rest of a whiskey bottle from someone. “Got any beer?” He asked, chuckling, though he started coughing just as Jeb walked up It was Wednesday, Jeb knew his father would be wandering around the cities shelter, looking for food, warmth, and possibly someone to give him alcohol. He had everything his father needed and more, but he had only bought two bottles of vodka this time. He wanted his dad to slow down on the drinking but had a feeling his dad would end up yelling about needing more. He pulled into the parking lot of the shelter and grabbed the supplies, easily spying his dad in the alley beside the shelter. What surprised him was someone else talking to him, though he had a feeling she might just be a volunteer. He walked over, standing a few feet from the volunteer and sighing. “Dad, she doesn’t have any alcohol.” He wasn’t sure if that was true, but he was trying his best to help his dad get over this grief that had him so down.
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Post by Bri on Jul 3, 2023 0:09:49 GMT -6
Riell held back a sigh, after working with the shelter and the clients they served she wasn't that surprised by this answer. Before she could respond someone else was speaking, making her almost jump out of her skin. She looked at this newcomer, seeing a small resemblance between the two. "Yeah, no beer, just something to have for lunch." She explaned, looking back at Jebs dad with a neutral expression on her face.
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Post by Kiersten on Jul 3, 2023 9:46:30 GMT -6
Jeb didn’t note how she had jumped from his presence, his eyes were still on his dad. He felt himself sag a little, wishing he could just drag him back home, but the last time he had tried, resulted in a black eye. “Do you want something to eat? I’m sure it’s hot and delicious.” He had canned goods and things that didn’t perish quickly for his dad in the box he had brought, but he knew nothing could beat a hot meal. He set the box down next to his dad and immediately his dad noted the alcohol bottles.
“Where’s the rest of them? I asked for four.” He coughed, shifting through the box as if two more bottles would just magically appear. “I promised Joe and Tiny a bottle.” He grumbled.
“I’ve never met Joe and Tiny, what happed to Ben?” Jeb knew better than to explain why there were only two bottles to his dad, it would only anger him. Changing the subject was easier to deal with than his angry drunk of a dad who was hell bent on drowning his sorrows in the stuff.
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Post by Bri on Jul 4, 2023 14:15:12 GMT -6
Riell felt a little awkward watching this, for a moment wondering if she should have stopped at all as the exchange went on, trying to keep her face neutral at the discussion of alcohol. She wasn't sure if she should say anything as she shifted her crate against her hip. "I'll cut you deal," she offered, "if you agree to take one of these and actually eat it, I'll go and get bottles for friends." She knew it wasn't the best thing, to indulge someone like this, but if it meant they'd agree to eat it would be worth it, sometimes compromise was needed.
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Post by Kiersten on Jul 4, 2023 15:01:25 GMT -6
Jeb opened his mouth to argue more with his dad when the girl spoke and made a deal with his dad. He felt his back stiffen at what she was trying to do, part of him hoped that his dad would at least just take a meal from her, having a feeling the so called friends weren’t real, after all, Ben hadn’t been real either. “Sounds like, a good deal dad.” He didn’t want to blow it by saying anything more, he needed his dad to at least have one good hot meal other than what the shelter would give him.
Jeb’s dad stared at Riell for a few seconds before it seemed like his eyes crossed and glazed over. “What is it.” He mumbled, unscrewing the cap to the vodka bottle immediately, but didn’t take a drink right away.
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Post by Bri on Jul 4, 2023 16:53:44 GMT -6
Riell looked back at Jeb's dad, feeling guilty about her end of the bargain. She offered a small smile even though he already seemed too out of it to notice or care. "Well, there's some fresh baked biscuits with some honey and goat butter, an apple, there's also a bit of soup and sandwich, along with a few other little snacks. If you want I can leave some for your friends too."
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Post by Kiersten on Jul 4, 2023 18:42:23 GMT -6
Jeb didn’t interrupt as she offered him goodies, something his dad shouldn’t pass up, though he was worried he would. He watched his dad take a sip of the vodka, probably making sure he hadn’t watered it down like he had tried before.
“If.. If you get me another bottle, I’ll take some. For me and my friends.” His dad grumbled before taking a long drink from the bottle.
“Well, guess that solves that,” Jeb said with a sigh before walking away from his dad, heading for his car. He’d wait of course, to make sure his dad made it into the shelter for the night, or to go grab extra blankets in case he couldn’t make it in. He leaned against the hood of his beat up old mustang and lit up a cigarette, taking a long drag of it, letting the burning in his chest console him.
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Post by Bri on Jul 4, 2023 19:09:00 GMT -6
Riell winced a little hearing Jeb's sigh, but she had to live up to her side of the bargain, "alright, I'll be right back then." She told Jeb's father as she straightened and headed out of the alley, pausing when she saw Jeb leaning against a car. She hesitated for a moment before walking over, taking a deep breath. "Hey...I'm...sorry that it came to that, he just...really looks like he needs something eat."
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Post by Kiersten on Jul 4, 2023 20:02:45 GMT -6
Jeb held the cigarette in his mouth as he pulled out his phone, checking the status of his next shipment of goodies when Riell walked up. He looked up from his phone, though his eyes fell back to his screen. “Don’t worry about it, I do appreciate it, I was worried he might be more difficult for you.” He had seen several other volunteers try and help his dad, befriend him, offer him things, but if it wasn’t alcohol, or at least, came with a promise of such, he usually pushed them away screaming.
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Post by Bri on Jul 4, 2023 20:46:38 GMT -6
"They sometimes are," Riell admitted, "but I've been lucky with the compromises lately..." she glanced down at her crate then at him, hesitating slightly, "would you...do you mind if I leave this with you while I go get the bottles?" She asked, figuring it wouldn't take that long to swing by a store and back but she didn't feel like carrying around her crate and if she dropped it off by the shelter she'd have to double back and stop there to get the two other boxes. To her it made sense to leave everything here and to just come back to it.
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Post by Kiersten on Jul 4, 2023 21:22:25 GMT -6
Jeb raised an eyebrow, “you are actually going to get him alcohol?” he asked, though a little surprised since most promised his dad something in return, only to never follow through. It was part of the reason his dad stopped taking from the shelter, they never followed through with the alcohol, and that’s all he seemed to care about lately.
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Post by Bri on Jul 4, 2023 21:54:32 GMT -6
"Well...yeah, I made him a deal and if I don't come through then he won't take food in the future," Riell replied with a small frown, "I mean I know giving him alcohol isn't the best choice but if it makes him eat then it's worth it just a little bit." She explained, knowing she was like a very thin line and that she was enabling but then again, he had brought the guy alcohol too.
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Post by Kiersten on Jul 4, 2023 22:31:45 GMT -6
Jeb took a long drag off his cigarette before tossing it to the ground and stopping it out. “He might not eat still, or he might eat only a little.” He hated that his dad would accept this food, get ahold of alcohol, and drink instead. The food either traded amongst his fellow homeless who made their home in the same alley, at least, most of it wasn’t wasted. “I can go, if you don’t want to waste your time.” He offered, having planned to stop and get another bottle, hoping to use to at least watch his father eat what she’d given him.
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Post by Bri on Jul 4, 2023 22:50:07 GMT -6
"Well if he eats a little I'll still count it as a win," she said with a small shrug, of course she didn't want food to go to waste but maybe it would get passed around to some of his dads friends. "Oh," she shook her head, "I don't see it as a waste of time, it shouldn't take too long and I don't want to get in the way of your day or anything."
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Post by Kiersten on Jul 5, 2023 7:42:27 GMT -6
Jeb stared at her, blinking his eyes a little, “oh, don’t worry about my day.” He smiled, feeling like he didn’t have to explain why, but he was also too lazy to do so. “But I won’t get in your way if you’re hellbent on it.” He chuckled, knowing better than to get in the way of a woman who had an agenda. He leaned back against his car and pulled out another cigarette, lighting it up before taking a deep drag of it, letting the smoke out slowly.
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Post by Bri on Jul 5, 2023 9:06:19 GMT -6
For a second Riell couldn’t help herself from eyeballing his cigarette, thinking of how she’d broken the habit just a couple years ago but still itched for a drag here and there. She hesitated for a moment as she looked him over, it would make sense if he did to get the bottle since he seemed to know what the guy liked, “well…it might make more sense if you go and get it.” She said, if he went and did it, it meant that she could get out of town quicker.
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Post by Kiersten on Jul 5, 2023 13:58:17 GMT -6
Jeb nodded his head, having heard other volunteers ask him to get it or when he offered, jumped at the chance not to do it. “No worries, he’s not a picky man to be honest, any alcohol will do.” But he wondered if one day he was going to throw a fit because it wasn’t the right brand. “Don’t worry about hanging around, I’ll make sure he eats.” He gave Riell a small, sad smile before tossing his cigarette to the ground, squashing it under his foot.
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Post by Bri on Jul 5, 2023 15:33:57 GMT -6
Even though she knee she could leave there’s was sismerghnf in his smile that made her hesitate. She offered him her own small smile in return. “It’s okay, I have some stuff I have to do around the shelter so I might still be around when you get back.”
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Post by Kiersten on Jul 5, 2023 17:22:08 GMT -6
Jeb shrugged, feeling like she wouldn’t be here when he got back. “Twenty minutes, shouldn’t take me long.” He knew he could easily do it in ten minutes, the problem was explaining to the clerk, who knew him as well as his situation, why he was back to buy yet another bottle of alcohol. H sighed and slipped into his driver seat and started up his car, which didn’t sound like it would make it, but it purred to life. “That’s it, keep it running.” He said, patting the dashboard of the old mustang. He turned and saluted Riell before driving out of the parking lot.
Twenty minutes later he pulled back into the same parking space he had been in earlier, a bag full of alcohol. While one bottle was for his dad, he felt like he'd need some for himself, though he knew whe was playing a dangerous game. He stepped out and looked around, not spotting the chick from earlier and guessing she as either inside or had already left. "Not shocked." He sighed, heading up to the alley his dad was currently passed out in and sat down next to him, the meal Riell had given him, untouched.
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Post by Bri on Jul 5, 2023 18:14:11 GMT -6
Riell cringed from the sound of his car trying to start, watching him as he pulled away. She rubbed the back of her neck and with a sigh went into the shelter, dropping off the food she had brought and chatting a little with the volunteers as she kept two boxes in the crate. When it was around twenty minutes she made her way to the door but was stopped by someone who thought it was extremely important to educate her about Flat Earth theory for five minutes until she could finally make an excuse and slip away.
As soon as she got outside she saw that the guy's car from earlier was back. She quickly walked back to the alley where she found him sitting next to the guy from earlier, a little frown on her lips but she quickly schooled her face into a neutral expression before walking over and setting the two extra boxes on top of the first one.
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Post by Kiersten on Jul 5, 2023 18:48:37 GMT -6
Jeb watched his father sleep, checking his phone for updates, waiting for the best time to wake up him. He noticed the one bottle he had left was almost empty, having only a fourth of it left, meaning his dad might not wake up anytime soon. He looked up when he heard someone approaching, placing something nearby. “Ah, thought you left already.” He smiled softly before turning back to his dad.
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Post by Bri on Jul 5, 2023 19:46:10 GMT -6
Riell stayed crouched by Jeb, smiling a little bit, "yeah," she spoke softly, not wanting to wake up his dad but judging from the snores coming from the man she doubted her normal voice would wake him but but she didn't want to risk it. She knew from experience waking up a drunk was not the best thing to do. "I stick to my promises." For the most part. The thought whispered in her mind but she tried to brush it away and the weight it added to her shoulders. "You gonna stick around until he wakes up?"
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Post by Kiersten on Jul 5, 2023 20:46:41 GMT -6
Jeb chuckled softly before placing the bottle with the rest of them, turning to look at the food she had placed down. “I would love to stick around, I just don’t know when he’ll wake up.” And he had a job to do, had a shipment coming in today. He couldn’t wait around for his dad to decide he wasn’t going to live this way anymore, or even wake up to eat.
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Post by Bri on Jul 5, 2023 21:29:03 GMT -6
Riell looked from Jeb to his father and nodded, "well, considering where he is," she said thoughtfully, "someone from the shelter is bound to check on him if you need to get going." She said, hoping to make him feel a little better if he had to leave. Considering the time and the way her stomach decided to rumble she figured she should get a move on too.
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Post by Kiersten on Jul 5, 2023 21:50:19 GMT -6
Jeb pulled a blanket over his dad, though he watched his dad frown and push the blanket partially away. He turned to Riell and smirked. “Sounds like you have somewhere to be.” He joked standing up and brushing the dirt from his pants. “You should try JJ’s diner if you haven’t. Got excellent pancakes.” He offered just as his phone rang. He held up his hand to show he’d excuse himself and took the call, but it only lasts a few minutes. “Looks like my day is now open.” He figured he could sit with his dad to make sure he woke up and ate something instead of drink the rest of the bottle he had opened.
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Post by Bri on Jul 5, 2023 22:11:18 GMT -6
Riell felt her face heat up, of course he had to have heard that, "yeah, uh, I might have been so focused on bringing food here that I forgot to have breakfast." She said with a slight grimace as she stood up as well. She nodded when he mentioned the diner, she had gone there a couple times since moving to this town but rarely indulged herself, worried that if she poked around too much, even now, someone would recognize her and her peaceful, albeit lonely life, would be shattered. "Oh?" She raised an eyebrow when he mentioned his phone call, not sure what it was about but it wasn't like it was her business. She hesitated for a moment, looking between Jeb and his father when the words tumbled from her mouth before her brain could stop her, "then that probably means you have time to eat too, right?"
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Post by Kiersten on Jul 5, 2023 22:33:35 GMT -6
Jeb couldn’t imagine making food for a bunch of people and forgetting to eat himself. The thought actually made him feel hungry, but it could also have been the fact he’d gotten high last night and was just lingering. He turned to Riell with a crooked smirk on his face. “Are you asking me out on a date.” He teased.
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Post by Bri on Jul 5, 2023 22:57:42 GMT -6
Riell was taken aback by his teasing, sure her face was turning red, she could definitely feel the heat of it. "Am I? Or is this your way of trying to score a free lunch?" She couldn't help but tease him back, a small smile forming on her face, "either way, the offer stands but those pancakes better be good."
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Post by Kiersten on Jul 6, 2023 7:37:40 GMT -6
Jeb chuckled, finding it funny that she was blushing even though he didn’t think it was actually a date. “Free food? Especially pancakes, I’m in.” He shrugged, not having anything else to lose. He bent down to his dad and squeezed his shoulder, “Be back later dad.” He whispered, but wasn’t shocked when his dad didn’t respond. He stood back up and turns to Riell. “Yeah, they are amazing. Trust me.” Granted, most of the time he ate them while high, but he trusted himself.
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